Wire harness manufacturing apparatus and method

ABSTRACT

A device and a method for manufacturing of bundles of wires fixed in terminal boards for building wiring allows manufacturing of bundles of wires for individual sections from one to another junction point, so that the length and sheathing of each bundle correspond to the in situ status, whereby individual wires would be labelled in a way to allow a fitter to connect wires, the ends of which will be previously stripped off and prepared for being connected to other electric elements on junction points only on the basis of labels on wires and other electric elements, without fitter&#39;s knowledge of a wiring diagram, whereby after the completion of the input of data the device of the invention automatically performs a list of circuitry elements, a wiring diagram and a circuitry plan for instance in a ground plan of an object, whereby the device of the invention also allows new methods of wiring manufacturing.

This application is a National Stage of PCT/SI2003/000039 filed Oct. 29,2003 which in turn claims priority from P-200200265 filed in Slovenia onOct. 30, 2002.

SUBJECT OF INVENTION

The subject of the invention is a device and a method for manufacturingbundles of wires fixed in terminal boards for building wiring of bothresidential and business buildings as well as a method of itsmanufacturing and installation.

TECHNICAL PROBLEM

A technical problem solved by the invention is how to conceive a deviceto allow manufacturing of bundles of wires for individual sections fromone to another junction point so that the length and sheathing of eachbundle correspond to the in situ status, whereby individual wires wouldbe labelled in a way to allow a fitter to connect wires, the ends ofwhich will be previously stripped off and prepared for being connectedto other electric elements on junction points only on the basis oflabels on wires and other electric elements, without fitter's knowledgeof a wiring diagram; after the completion of the input of data thedevice of the invention will at the same time automatically perform alist of circuitry elements, a wiring diagram and a circuitry plan forinstance in a ground plan of an object, whereby the device of theinvention will also allow new methods of wiring manufacturing.

PRIOR ART

A device of this type has not been known. Electricity wires are laid incompliance with a wiring diagram, which foresees electrical elements andwires to be cut at desired lengths during installation and laying of thewires into adequate concealed cabling or open cabling. Then insulationsheathing is stripped off from wire ends. It is especially timeconsuming to connect wires with other electric elements on the basis ofa wiring diagram of the entire installation. Since the wires arecoloured in compliance with standards, it often happens that there areseveral wires of the same colour within a bundle, which makes itimpossible to distinctly recognize both ends of the same wire only byits sheathing colour, we have to use electric current and a phasetester, which is very time consuming. In case of an error or laterchange or amendment of the circuit, these labels make work even moretime consuming and increase a possibility of mistakes.

A consequence of the described mode of installation manufacturing is arelatively long production time, which is very difficult to be foreseenin the plan of work due to expected and unpredictable errors in circuitand in the correction thereof. Often, this type of work causes lags infurther building steps, e.g. in making of plastering and floors.

Due to the ever quicker subsequent constructional and installation stepsof work, there is a great need for such new device allowing a quickermanufacturing of building wiring under an essentially lower possibilityof mistakes in the circuit, whereby installation will cost less and itwill be possible to more precisely predict the entire time span of workson a building for wiring due to harmonization with other types of work.

SOLUTION TO THE TECHNICAL PROBLEM

The described technical problem is solved by the device of theinvention, the essence of which lies in that a planned wiring diagram ofan electric installation is used to define the actual measurements to bedone on the building, between the neighbouring junction points, e.g.connection boxes, wall sockets, switches, lamps, fuses etc., saidmeasurements are then entered into a computer program of the invention,also types of individual wires from the plan are entered into the sameprogram, e.g. phase, earth and the like and a cross-section of each wirewhich is dimensioned in the circuit plan. Further we unambiguously labeleach electric element, for instance connection box, fuse, switch, lamp,wall socket and the like, whereby this label simultaneously also marksthe location of an individual element, for instance the label of theroom, in which said elements are foreseen. The program of the inventionthen selects all wires running between the neighbouring junction points,for instance between two connection boxes or between a connection boxand a switch and selects an adequate terminal board, e.g. a concealedtube or a visible canal in compliance with the project. Then follows aprintout of electric elements for the entire installation with adequatedata defining each element both from the technical point of view (e.g.type of wire, its cross-section, insulation, insulation colour . . . )and purchasing labels (e.g. factory label of an individual manufacturer,price). At the same time, the computer of the invention is connected toa device of the invention for the manufacture of bundles of wires andcontrols it. The program controls the device by first indicating thereel, from which a wire should be taken and led into the device, saidwire being defined by a cross-section and sheathing colour, then anunambiguous wire label is designed via a printer, which labels itdirectly on both ends, preferably with a sticker or a label and finallycontrols the measuring part of the device to cut off the wire to adesired length. The program selects the sequence of manufacturing ofindividual wires by bundles and defines the terminal board for them,e.g. a concealed tube or canal of an adequate dimension, whereby saidterminal board is given an unambiguous label, printed on it directly viathe printer, or a label or a sticker is printed. Unambiguous labels ofboth ends of wires and terminal boards are also entered in plans andlists of electric installation elements. Preferably, the joining partsof all elements to join in the same point are labelled with the samelabel. E.g. ends of all conductors of one phase present in a connectionbox and intended for a joint connection bear the same label. Whenconnecting, the fitter only connects the elements bearing the samelabel. He does not need to read the wiring diagram or plan. It is alsoimpossible to mistake the wires of the same sheathing colours, becausethe program adjusts the labels for wire ends in an unambiguous way.

Moreover, the program makes a list of elements, e.g. switches, wallsockets and the like and dictates the selection thereof and thecomposition of a collection of these elements for an individual areawithin a building, preferably for each room separately, whereby suchcollection of elements is gathered in one packaging, preferably a baglabelled with an unambiguous label also generated by said program via aprinter directly on the bag, or with a label or a sticker, which usuallyindicates the room or a part of a large space.

These unambiguous labels are preferably arranged in the sense oftalkative symbols. Connection boxes for instance bear the labels Dxy,where D means a connection box, x is the sign of the room and y is thenumber of the connection box in this room. A switch is labelled as Sxy,where S means a switch, x the number of the room and y the number of theswitch in this room.

The device of the invention for manufacturing bundles of wires ofelectric installation consists of reels of wires foreseen to becontained in electric installation of the building, e.g. wires ofvarious cross-sections and various insulation colours as defined bystandards. Then there is a set for stripping off insulation sheathing atthe beginning of a wire and a printer for labelling the same end of thewire with an unambiguous label, preferably by a label or a sticker. Thefollowing part of the device is a wire length meter. This partpreferably consists of a pair of driven reels, between which a wireruns. One of the reels has a built-in unit for pace counting of itsrevolutions, the control computer thus uses this datum to measure thelength of the wire run through the reels and stops the unit at thedesired wire length and cuts off the wire by means of a special cutterand then uses the unit for stripping off insulation sheathing and stripsoff sheathing on the last end to be connected to another electricelement, whereby this end is also equipped with an unambiguous label viaa printer in the form of a label or a sticker.

After the device contains all the wires of one bundle, it selects fromits stock of tubes, canals and other terminal boards an adequate type,labels it with an unambiguous label via a printer with a label or asticker, and introduces the entire wire bundle into it. Followsmanufacturing of wire sections for the following bundle by the same modefor the same room of a building. When all wire bundles fixed in terminalboards for the same room are manufactured, the device joins all bundlesof wires fixed in terminal boards for one location, preferably a room,into one unit and labels it with an adequate label, e.g. in the shape ofa sticker or a tag.

Installation is performed as follows: first, the bundles joined andintended for one location, for instance a room, are arranged to theselocations together with the belonging electric elements, e.g. wallsockets, switches and the like, needed for this location and stored in ajoint packaging, e.g. a transparent bag labelled with an adequate label.When the walls, ceilings and floors are prepared for electricinstallation by having grooves for terminal boards with wire bundles andholes for electric elements, e.g. connection boxes, these elements arefastened to adequate places. It is essential that the fitter onlyfollows the labels on individual elements by reading the same labels onthe plan for installation. He does not need to understand a wiring planin the sense of electricity. The fitter can therefore have a lowereducational level without any earlier knowledge in the fieldelectricity.

Connection boxes and terminal boards, e.g. tubes are fastened to groovesand holes in the wall, ceiling or floor preferably by plaster. In orderto expedite work and to contribute to a higher level of precision, thereare special positioning fixing elements needed during the time ofsetting of plaster, which are however not in direct scope of thisinvention.

In order that the present invention be more readily understood, anembodiment thereof will now be described with reference to theaccompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of the device of the invention.

The device for manufacturing bundles of wires for building wiring ismade of a set 1 of reels 2 of wires 3 of various cross-sections andinsulation colours, whereby the colours are preferably in compliancewith the standards of labelling wire types: phases, earth ducts, switchducts etc. The next element of the device is a unit 4 for cutting offwires and stripping off insulation at the end of each treated wire 3.Near the unit 4 there is intended to be a unit 5 for the distribution ofunambiguous labels 6 in an optional embodiment, preferably as aself-sticking label, whereby a printer 5′ is intended near this unit inorder to provide simultaneous printing of these labels 6. After thisunit comes a unit 7 for measuring the length of each treated wire 3.This unit is preferably conceived as a set of two parallel and touchingcylinders 8, of which one cylinder 8 is equipped with a pace feeder 9 ofpulses, which are a basis for the computer program 10 for determinationof a desired wire 3 length, which is cut off to an adequate length onthe unit 4 and then rewound to a rewinding unit 11 with several sections12 for separate winding of individual wires 3. After the wire 3 is cutoff, the unit 4 strips off the insulation sheathing on the end part ofthe treated wire 3 and after that at the beginning of a new treated wire3.

The winding unit 11 is followed by a section 13 for the formation of abundle 14 of wires 3 running between the two junction points, e.g.between connection boxes. The section 13 is preferably intended as asecond field, on which the bundle 14 of wires is led into a terminalboard 15 of wires, e.g. a flexible concealed tube, canal, cable tray,etc., which is also labelled with an unambiguous label. If a needoccurs, the bundle 14 can also be without the terminal board 15 andwrapped at least on several spots, labelled with an unambiguous labeland intended to be installed into an optional terminal board 15,positioned directly on the object, e.g. cable tray.

A container 16 of standard terminal boards 15 is foreseen near thesection 13, especially for concealed installation tubes of variousdiameters.

All the mentioned sets are controlled by the computer program 10. In thedescribed embodiment of the device it is foreseen that each wire beselected manually, put into individual cutting-off units, stripped offinsulation, put into a winding reel, put of several wires into a bundle,which is also manually inserted into the terminal board. Labelling withunambiguous labels of wires, bundles, terminal boards and the like isalso manual, whereas printing control of the labels or stickers isgoverned by the computer program 10, which controls all steps for themanufacturing of each individual wire or bundle based on the list ofelements and wire bundles and also selects other electric installationelements, like connection boxes, switches, fuses for each individualjunction point, which are—in the described embodiment—manually selectedinto joint packaging and labelled with an unambiguous label as earlierdescribed with wires and bundles.

In order to facilitate work, illuminating bodies 17 are foreseen nearreels 2 and types of terminal boards 15, which are used by the computerprogram 10 to label each adequate wire 3 or terminal boards 15, so thefitter does not need to be acquainted with the wiring diagram.

Due to a large quantity of wiring, the described device is equipped withauxiliary assemblies, replacing manual work with machine-run e.g.robotic assemblies, which would be controlled by the described computeror an amended program.

The method of manufacturing electric bundles of wires for buildingwiring consists of several steps. The first step comprises a precisemeasurement of lengths between the neighbouring junction points directlyon the object on the basis of an electric plan and possible changes.

These data are entered into the computer program, and simultaneously thetypes of wires are defined by cross sections, insulation colours incompliance with standards, their functions, e.g. phase, earth duct,switch wire, and the like, and each corresponding fuse, junction units,e.g. connection boxes between the wires of each circuit and finalconsumer, e.g. lamp, wall socket, cooker and the like and its location,e.g. kitchen.

The computer program has an algorithm to define adequate bundles betweenthe neighbouring junction points and foresees unambiguous labels foreach wire separately and for bundles. It is typical that the labels ofends of neighbouring wires in the same junction points foreseen for ajoint connection are such to be recognized by the fitter without anyknowledge of electricity. Preferably, the labels of ends of a variety ofwires intended for a joint junction are the same.

Furthermore the program selects an optimal terminal board with respectto the number of wires in a bundle, e.g. a type of a concealed tube, andlabels it with an unambiguous label.

At the same time, the junction elements, e.g. connection boxes and otherelectric installation elements, e.g. wall sockets, switches, fuses andthe like are gathered in groups, which are needed on individuallocations, e.g. in the kitchen, and then packaged and labelled with anunambiguous label.

The fitter therefore has marked bundles of wires fixed in terminalboards and packages of other installation material, needed in eachlocation, available for use in packagings.

Based on the actual conditions in the building, holes for connectionboxes and grooves for terminal boards are first prepared and fixed in anoptional known way, preferably by plaster. Then terminal boards withbundles of wires are installed into grooves from one junction point toanother. Unambiguous labels on each element separately andsimultaneously in the plan contribute to a simple installation withoutany previous knowledge of electricity. At the end, the ends of wires andelectric elements are connected on the basis of labels on the ends ofwires.

It is understandable that a man skilled in this field and on the basisof the invention can design another device of this type, e.g. an evenmore automated or robotized device, it is also possible withoutcircumventing the essence of the invention, to amend the method ofwiring installation with additional devices for positioning andtemporary fixing of various wiring elements.

1. A method of manufacturing bundles of wires, the method comprising:(a) precisely measuring lengths between neighboring junction pointsdirectly on an object on the basis of an electric plan, (b) enteringdata from said measuring lengths into a computer, (c) defining wiretypes by one or more of wire cross-sections, insulation colors incompliance with one or more standards, and wire functions, (d) assigningeach wire to one or more of a corresponding fuse, junction units, and awire location, (e) arranging bundles of wires so as to be fixed interminal boards and labeled with an unambiguous label and a respectiveelectric installation elements, (f) fitting junction elements intoprepared holes in a building and between the prepared holes into theterminal boards with bundles of wires, (g) connecting ends of wires injunction points on the basis of suitability of all unambiguous labels atthe ends of wires and other elements without requiring any knowledge ofan overall wiring diagram.
 2. A method of manufacturing bundles of wiresfor installation in a building, the method comprising: measuring lengthsbetween neighboring junction points in the building on the basis of anelectrical wiring plan; defining each of a plurality of wire types byone or more of a cross-section, a standard insulation color, and awiring function; determining, for each of the plurality of wire types, anumber of wires of each wire type; assigning each of the wires to acorresponding type of connection box and a location in the building;bundling selected ones of the wires into one or more bundles of wires;labeling a plurality of the wires with associated unambiguous labelsthat separately identifies each of the plurality of wires; arranging theone or more bundles of wires in a terminal board; fitting connectionboxes into holes in the building and, between selected connection boxes,installing the terminal board containing the one or more bundles ofwires; and connecting ends of the wires at the selected connection boxeson the basis of suitability of the associated unambiguous labels withoutrequiring any knowledge of the electrical wiring plan.
 3. The method ofclaim 2, further comprising entering at least the measurement lengthdata into a computer configured to define adequate bundles betweenneighboring junction points in the building.
 4. A computer-implementedmethod for manufacturing pre-fabricated bundles of wires forinstallation in a building, the method comprising using a computerprogrammed to carry out the functions of: receiving, as an input,measured lengths between neighboring junction points in the building onthe basis of an electric plan; defining various wire types by one ormore of a cross-section, a standard insulation color, and a wiringfunction; assigning each of a plurality of wires determined by theelectric plan to a corresponding type of connection box and a locationin the building; and determining unambiguous labels that identify eachof the plurality of wires.
 5. The method of claim 4, further comprisingcausing the determined unambiguous labels to be printed.
 6. The methodof claim 4, further comprising controlling the manufacturing of thepre-fabricated bundles of wires by receiving an electrical signalrepresenting an actual length of wire being cut.
 7. The method of claim4, wherein said determining unambiguous labels comprises ensuring thatlabels for a joint connection are identical.
 8. The method of claim 4,further comprising selecting an optimal terminal board with respect to anumber of wires in a bundle.
 9. The method of claim 4, furthercomprising listing one or more junction elements including wall sockets,switches, and fuses, and linking each of the one or more junctionelements to an individual location in the building.